The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-05-13

can never keep q man more than SIX
months, without one set or the other
getting down on him. He's sure to be
in hot water somewhere. On, dear!
why didn't you catch that?"
This last exclamation was not adj
dressed to the stranger, hut to Mr..
Gilkey. For in the excitement OF
the discussion, the lady loosen
ed her hold upon the bandbox,
and q sudden Jolt of the cars had
precipitated it into the aisle. With
the aid of a fellowpassenger and a
cane, Mr.. Gilkey hshed up the precious
parcel, and by the time this feat was
accomplished, the train was moving
| slowly into Brandon station.
Mr.. Ames shook hands with the
stranger at parting, and said he was
| glad to have met him; after which
ceremony the travellers repaired to
their several destinations, Mrs. Gil
key with vague fOrebOdings lest the
fall should have resulted disastrOusly
to the contents OF the bandbOx; Mr..
Ames with n placid satisfaction with
himself and the world at large, and
the Stranger-but as he is a stranger
we can lot guess with any accuracy
what his thoughts and feelings were.
The church was filed that Sabbath
morning, and an agreeable t1utter Of
expectation pervaded the well-dressed
| congregation. Their faces wore that
w~ide-awake, alert expression Of per-
sons who expect to be entertained.
Mr.. Ames felt very tranquil in spir-
it, as he leisurely assembled the church
steps, just in time for the opening an
them. AS he leaned back in the seat
and glanced over the crowded house,
he said to himself that he, for one,
was glad they were going to have a
steady pastor, and he was going to do
his best to encourage him. He'd get
introduced after service, and invite
him up to dinner tomorrow. He
nudged his wife and conided to her
this resolve, and she said twas lust
the thing"
He craned his neck around to get a
sight OF the new man, but the desk
completely hid him from view, as he
sat in the large pulpit chair, resting
his head on n shapely hand.
With the last notes OF the anthem,
Mrs. Gilkey sailed down theaisle in all
the glory Of her new bonnet, while her
husband followed at a respectful dis
lance behind the swaying plumes and
spreading brim. Mrs. Ames whispered
to her husband that 'twould be just
like the Gilkeys to try to get in
ahead with the minister, that woman
was $50 pushing"
He must remember and speak to the
| minister rioht after church.
The choir sat down with a hutter
and giggle. There was q brief pause.
Then the preacher advanced to
hymn. AS the mellow tones
OF his voice foated out over their
heads the waiting congregation smiled
gracious approval. But what was it
made Mr.. Ames start so violently at
the first words of the reader, stare
hard at the desk and sink back into
his seat with al expression CT blank
dismay? Mr.. Gilkey observed it from
where he sat and wondered what it
meant. One look at the minister
told the story. He was the stranger
who had shared Mr.. Ames' seat in the
cars the night before!
The subsequent proceedings were
fraught with painful interest for at
least two ofthat audience. Mrs. Ames
whispered to her husband that she
noticed that Mrs. DIR. Holmes wore a
new sealskin, but he needed her not,
and when the congregation rose
to sing, he kept his seat, de-
spite that lady's reproving look. He
stole a furtive glance at Mr.. Gilkey to
see how he bore it. That gentleman,
after some discussion with his wife,
arose, and held the book for her dur
ing the hymn, but he hung his head,
and looked crushed in spirit. Mrs.
Gilkey, on the contrary, carried her
head and new bonnet with conscious
dignity, and sang like a robin.
To Mr.. Ames excited imagination
that service was ten hours long, al
though the clock only Indicated an
hour and a half. Brandon had not
heard such q sermon for many q day;
but Mr.. Ames, alas! couldn't have told
O. word there was in it. He counted the
pipes in the organ, the crystals on the
chandeliers, the panes Of glass in the
windows, in his frantic attempts to
make lifetime pass. But every time
he returned from some abstruse, nu-
merical calculation only to hear the
eff0quentt tones the preacher and be
hold the people hanging in rapt at
tention on every word. Mr.. Ames
did not wait to be introduced to the
minister after the service. Far from
It'll He fished his hat out from under
the seat with unwonted alacrity, and
made for the door, looking neither
to the left norright.
THAT was q powerful sermon we've
just heard, wasn't it brother Ames?'
began Elder Stanclift, stepping softly